Armenia's government to use Russian loan for extension of NPP operations

YEREVAN, March 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government will consider the project for extension of operation of the second power unit at Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at its sitting Thursday.

Under the draft government decree the minister of finance David Sargsyan will be instructed to take measures for signing a loan agreement between Armenia and Russia, says the government website.

The minister of energy and natural resources Armen Movsisian will be instructed to arrange signing of an agreement between the Armenian NPP and the Russian Rosatom Service state corporation about a feasibility study on possible extension of operations at the plant.

After the completion of the first stage, an audit of the professional risks shall be carried out within a two-month period. In the event of positive audit conclusions an agreement about preparations for operations in the extended period needs to be signed with a month.

The Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995.

On April 19 2012 Armenian government approved a decision to extend the service life of the nuclear power plant. Armenian and Russian presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin agreed during their negotiations in September 2013 that Rosatom will work together with Armenian experts to extend the service life of the plant for another 10 years. –0--